Men unearth conversations around mental health and wellbeing

PICTURED: (From left) Leon Murnieks, Ian Muir, Gareth Taylor, Mathew Tidball and Will Beasley at the Cae Felin Community Supported Agriculture site near Morriston Hospital.

A combination of potting plants and chatting over a cuppa has helped Swansea Bay’s male staff unearth conversations to boost their mental health and wellbeing.

The health board’s Men’s Health Group visited the Cae Felin Community Supported Agriculture project, next to Morriston Hospital, to help break down barriers over talking about mental health.

Men account for 23 per cent of the health board’s workforce, and the trip was designed to tackle the increasing and predominantly silent crisis in the health and wellbeing of men.

PICTURED: The visit gave male staff an opportunity to volunteer outdoors and chat about a variety of subjects.

It also falls during Mental Health Awareness Week, which takes place between May 11-17.

As well as getting hands on with the planting, attendees enjoyed a talk about the site by Will Beasley, a consultant upper gastrointestinal surgeon in Morriston Hospital and a director and grower at Cae Felin.

One of the men who went along was Morriston Hospital porter Gareth Taylor. He potted plants and helped with general maintenance on land, which is owned by the health board and has biodiversity benefits along with being a natural habitat for wildlife and nature.

Gareth said: “My job means I walk on average between nine to 12 miles a day, so the trip to Cae Felin gave me a chance to unwind while doing something worthwhile for myself and the project.

“My wife, who works in the health board, heard about it on the intranet and said I should go.

“I’m really glad I did. I loved having the chance to talk to other guys in a natural setting.

“Working within a hospital is a pressurised environment and, as a porter, we experience a lot and are involved in wide-ranging situations. But coming to Cae Felin was like a pressure release valve.

PICTURED: Gareth Taylor pots some plants as part of the visit.

“You can’t beat coming out in the fresh air, doing an activity and chatting to a good set of guys.

“I’m definitely going to recommend visiting Cae Felin to my colleagues in Portering as I think they’d gain a lot from it.”

Gareth added: “I did not know the scale of the land until seeing it with my own eyes. It’s a terrific facility that more staff really need to know more about.

“I have my own allotment in Treboeth, so I’m very interested in gardening, so this event was perfect for me.”

Ian Muir was also part of the Men’s Health Group contingent which visited Cae Felin.

Ian, Project and Service Development Manager within Occupational Health and Staff Wellbeing, said: “I did not know Cae Felin existed until hearing of the Men’s Health Group’s visit, but I’m really glad I have seen it.

“My mind was blown by the site. It has so much there already, but there are plans to improve the infrastructure further.

“Being in the fresh air, potting some plants and doing some general maintenance work definitely relaxed my mind and gave me a chance to reset.

“I’m a big advocate of being outdoors and exploring different avenues as a way of helping my wellbeing and mental health, and this was perfect for me.

“This was my first trip to Cae Felin, but it won’t be the last.”

PICTURED: Ian Muir (left) and Mathew Tidball dig up some of the soil on the main field.

Mathew Tidball, Allied Health Professions Lead for Occupational Health and Staff Wellbeing, said: “We know that mental health conversations are particularly challenging for men to have as, historically, they tend to deal with their emotions themselves and do not seek outside help and support.

"The Men's Health Group aims to tackle these challenges and break down the barriers by doing something different and giving men a platform to discuss things - if they so wish - in a natural, open environment.

"Cae Felin is the perfect setting for that. Staff are out in the fresh air, working together on a project and that can lead to conversations around wellbeing.”

Leon Murnieks, who helps run the Men’s Health Group and is a TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) Co-ordinator within Staff Wellbeing, added: "It's important that men are not excluded from health conversations and feel they can reach out for help which is seen as a sign of strength instead of weakness.

“We know that early intervention is important for patients and we want to support staff to adopt the same approach towards their health so that it becomes more normal for men to discuss the issues that affect their health and wellbeing.”